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Essentials of Strength Training

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Frequently Asked Questions

With an eGift, you can instantly send a Great Course to a friend or loved one via email. It's simple:
1. Find the course you would like to eGift.
2. Under "Choose a Format", click on Video Download or Audio Download.
3. Click 'Send e-Gift'
4. Fill out the details on the next page. You will need to the email address of your friend or family member.
5. Proceed with the checkout process as usual.

Q: Why do I need to specify the email of the recipient?

A:
We will send that person an email to notify them of your gift. If they are already a customer, they will be able to add the gift to their My Digital Library and mobile apps. If they are not yet a customer, we will help them set up a new account so they can enjoy their course in their My Digital Library or via our free mobile apps.

Q: How will my friend or family member know they have a gift?

A:
They will receive an email from The Great Courses notifying them of your eGift. The email will direct them to TheGreatCourses.com. If they are already a customer, they will be able to add the gift to their My Digital Library and mobile apps. If they are not yet a customer, we will help them set up a new account so they can enjoy their course in their My Digital Library or via our free mobile apps.

Q: What if my friend or family member does not receive the email?

A:
If the email notification is missing, first check your Spam folder. Depending on your email provider, it may have mistakenly been flagged as spam. If it is not found, please email customer service at (customerservice@thegreatcourses.com) or call 1800 461 951 for assistance.

Q: How will I know they have received my eGift?

A:
When the recipient clicks on their email and redeems their eGift, you will automatically receive an email notification.

Q: What if I do not receive the notification that the eGift has been redeemed?

A:
If the email notification is missing, first check your Spam folder. Depending on your email provider, it may have mistakenly been flagged as spam. If it is not found, please email customer service at (customerservice@thegreatcourses.com) or call customer service at 1800 461 951 for assistance.

Q: I don't want to send downloads. How do I gift DVDs or CDs?

A:
eGifting only covers digital products. To purchase a DVD or CD version of a course and mail it to a friend, please call customer service at 1800 461 951 for assistance.

Q: Oops! The recipient already owns the course I gifted. What now?

A:
Great minds think alike! We can exchange the eGifted course for another course of equal value. Please call customer service at 1800 461 951 for assistance.

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A:
Yes, you can. Go to My Account to change your email address.

Q: Can I select a date in the future to send my eGift?

A:
Sorry, this feature is not available yet. We are working on adding it in the future.

Q: What if the email associated with eGift is not for my regular Great Course account?

A:
Please please email customer service at (customerservice@thegreatcourses.com) or call our customer service team at 1800 461 951 for assistance. They have the ability to update the email address so you can put in your correct account.

Q: When purchasing a gift for someone, why do I have to create an account?

A:
This is done for two reasons. One is so you can track the purchase of the order in your ‘order history’ section as well as being able to let our customer service team track your purchase and the person who received it if the need arises.

Q: Can I return or Exchange a gift after I purchase it?

A:
Because the gift is sent immediately, it cannot be returned or exchanged by the person giving the gift. The recipient can exchange the gift for another course of equal or lesser value, or pay the difference on a more expensive item

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Course Overview

This groundbreaking course on strength training unites scientific knowledge with results-driven practice in a wholly integrated system. With 3 lectures designed to educate you on your body's response to a variety of exercises plus 3 workouts, this course will help you build a stronger body.

We're all on a lifelong quest for that one secret or tool that will enhance our personal health, fight the negative effects of aging, and change our lives forever. Yet that secret has actually been hidden in plain sight all along. Strength training holds the key to unlocking your optimum health and achieving your peak physique, whether you're 28 or 78.

While many people are intimidated by exercises involving weights and resistance or think the sole purpose is to build Herculean muscles, the truth is that strength training is a vital component of even basic fitness; one that can—and should—be a part of everyone's fitness regimen. No matter what your age or fitness level, strength training is an essential counterpoint to any cardio exercise you may already be doing. It's also a chance to transform your body in a manner that's more responsible, healthy, and effective than any fad diet or infomercial exercise machine that targets only a single muscle group.

And medical experts agree: When you make strength training a part of your fitness regimen—for only 30-minute sessions two to three times per week—you're taking giant leaps toward improving your health. You'll

halt and, in some cases, reverse muscle loss and other changes that come with age;

ward off, lessen, and even reverse the effects of back pain and other chronic health conditions;

enhance your ability to lose weight;

improve your memory and the quality of your sleep;

reduce symptoms associated with anxiety and depression; and

improve your flexibility, balance, and coordination.

Of course, anyone can just take a trip to the gym and start strength training. What you can't get anywhere else: a program that combines the science of strength training with the workouts themselves. Essentials of Strength Training, our engaging course of three preparatory lessons and three workout sessions, does just that. Crafted by popular Great Courses instructor and international fitness expert Dean Hodgkin, it offers you medically sound and authoritative information to significantly boost your strength and your overall health. With insightful explanations of human physiology, helpful demonstrations of techniques and equipment, and interactive workout programs that show you the right way to perform dozens of exercises, this course is your chance to take a big step toward changing your life for good.

Explore the Science behind Your Strength

What makes Essentials of Strength Training unlike your average fitness program or gym routine is its focus on the science behind your muscular strength. With the skill of someone whose career is dedicated to educating clients about the life-transforming benefits of physical fitness, Mr. Hodgkin uses 3-D animations, models, and green-screen technology to reveal a wealth of information on human physiology as it relates to how your muscles work and how you can make them stronger.

You'll discover

how different strength-training exercises work on different muscle groups;

how your muscles work, grow, and repair themselves; and

how your body gains fat and how you can use strength training to promote weight loss.

You'll also get tips for making the most of your workout and for crafting a strength-training program that fits your specific needs and goals, such as these:

Opt for standing rather than seated exercises, as these promote balance and coordination.

Perform a workout routine in reverse order as an easy way to stimulate greater progress.

Exercise Your Way to a Stronger You

Once you've gotten the scientific concepts down, you're ready to start working out. Essentials of Strength Training comes with three in-depth workout sessions that let you put what you've learned to practical use. These 30-minute workouts are short enough to fit into the busiest of lives. And unlike working out in a gym studio, you can always pause the course to practice your form, do the workout twice in a row, and mix and match exercises to strengthen and tone your body whenever you have spare time. You'll also have the opportunity to mix and match warm-ups and cooldowns.

Weight Loss and Maintenance Workout: This intense workout, with its short bursts of high-intensity exercise, results in an increased metabolic rate—which can lead to more effective fat burning.

Partner Workout: Working out with a partner can provide a unique resistance tool, challenge your body in new ways, and motivate you to stay on track.

Empower Yourself for Life

With Mr. Hodgkin as your instructor, you'll quickly get over any trepidation you may feel about strength training. As he delivers his lectures, he's authoritative and informative, and he makes the science easy to grasp. And as he guides you through his workouts, he's motivational and encouraging. It's the perfect combination for easing yourself into a new level of fitness and personal wellness that can empower you for life.

Hide Full Description

6 lectures

| Average 36 minutes each

1

Strength Training—Past, Present, and Future

Take a fascinating look at the history and origins of strength training so you understand what strength training really is and why it’s relevant to your life. Then, explore some of the training tools available, including medicine balls, kettlebells, barbells, and resistance bands. Finally, investigate the many ways strength training can treat specific health conditions. x

2

How Strength Training Benefits Your Body

How do your muscles work when you perform simple motions (such as sitting in a chair) or when you lift weights? How does strength training increase your bone density and lower your risk of osteoporosis? What factors determine how much strength you generate from a specific muscle movement? What are the specific guidelines for beginning and advanced strength trainers? What role should strength training play in flexibility and children’s fitness? Get scientifically backed answers to these and other questions on strength training and your body. x

3

Strength Training for Weight Loss

Learn the importance of fat in overall health as well as its hidden dangers. You’ll investigate what makes for a healthy rate of weight loss, explore the best ways to successfully lose weight through strength training, examine the inner workings of specific joints and muscles, and more. By the end, you’ll see why strength training is the most potent weapon in your arsenal when it comes to the war on excess weight. x

4

Functional Strength Workout

Focus on total functional strength as Mr. Hodgkin guides you through a series of exercises designed to maximize your body’s strength and range of motion. Using a body bar, a medicine ball, an Olympic barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, and a mat, you’ll learn how to correctly perform exercises including squat presses, front and rear lunges, cyclones, single-arm presses, gecko rows, side planks, abdominal pikes, and oblique crunches. x

5

Weight Loss and Maintenance Workout

Start building a foundation for maintaining and losing weight through strength training with this challenging and engaging workout. Using just a few simple exercise tools, you’ll master the squat jump, the dumbbell curl, the dead lift, the bridge twist, and more. Plus, you’ll learn effective ways to combine these exercises and get even more out of your workout. x

DVD Includes:

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Your professor

About Your Professor

Dean Hodgkin, B.Sc

University of Portsmouth

International fitness expert Dean Hodgkin has presented master classes and seminars to fitness instructors in more than 30 countries. Voted Best International Fitness Presenter at the One Body One World awards in New York, he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs worldwide. A three-time World Karate Champion and a two-time European Karate Champion, Hodgkin earned a B.Sc. honors degree in Mathematics and...

Reviews

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Boundless from
Exemplary l!Big bang for my buck. I’ve learned allot. I’ll be going to it many more times ahead. It’s an elixer

Date published: 2019-04-06

Rated 1 out of
5 by
SammyB from
Very BoringThere is hardly any weight training there as in Squats, Bench Press etc.

Date published: 2018-12-27

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Antranik from
Very informative and effective workout programI bought this a month ago and so happy I did. The course is very informative and the workouts effective. I feel stronger and look better. Due to the workouts, my lower back pain is gone.

Date published: 2018-09-26

Rated 3 out of
5 by
ams1 from
Workouts great; health tips notThe workout descriptions and demonstrations themselves are very helpful and well presented, though beginners will need to start very slowly, doing many fewer reps to start, and resting much longer between exercises than the demonstrators. As a physician and medical lecturer myself, I can say that the lectures on relevance to medical diseases and health are at best superficial and at worst misleading.

Date published: 2018-09-04

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Bill 36 from
Teaching an old Dog New TricksI have been working with weights since 1955 and this is the my first view in to the technical side of the process. Great supplement to my regular work out

Date published: 2018-04-25

Rated 5 out of
5 by
tmartin726 from
Corrected a lot of my mistakes!This course was well worth the money and time I spent watching it. He also corrected several misconceptions and mistakes I was doing in my own personal training.

Date published: 2017-09-01

Rated 5 out of
5 by
arcb42633 from
essential of strength trainingI like they layout of the course. The instructor was easily understood and explained in detail.

Date published: 2017-06-16

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Pat54 from
I love the coursesGood presentation, good topics, and knowledgeable instructors.